Breakfast! 2016 (Part 2)

[rotuts]

@Ann_T

 

if the runny one were mine, that would be as good as it gets.

[HungryChris]

Toasted BLT, some pickled zucchini chips and marinated artichoke hearts.

HC

[blue_dolphin]

A while back, I saw these cute little Bacon & Egg Muffins online.  Aware of the folly of someone who is a fiend for crispy bacon, runny yolks and perfect toast attempting to cook all three items together, the cuteness factor overruled common sense and I decided to give them a try.  First pass here:

 

 

The recipe had strong cautions about over cooking the bacon so I kept a close eye on them through the glass but should have pulled them out to check the eggs as they are sadly overcooked.  The recipe called for 15 - 20 min at 400 degF.  This was 15 min, 400 degF, steam-bake in the Cuisi steam oven.

The bacon was perfect and crispy.  I pre-toasted the bread rounds and put a thin layer of Boursin on top to try to prevent it from getting too soggy and I think that was a good idea.  The bread wasn't super crisp but not soggy either.

The recipe recommended medium eggs so I bought a half dozen at the farmers market yesterday so I can give this 2 more tries to see if I can do better with the eggs.  The recipe suggested a layer of sautéed mushrooms or a slice of tomato under the egg so I'll try something along those lines for the next one.

[robirdstx]

56 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

A while back, I saw these cute little Bacon & Egg Muffins online.  Aware of the folly of someone who is a fiend for crispy bacon, runny yolks and perfect toast attempting to cook all three items together, the cuteness factor overruled common sense and I decided to give them a try.  First pass here:

 

 

The recipe had strong cautions about over cooking the bacon so I kept a close eye on them through the glass but should have pulled them out to check the eggs as they are sadly overcooked.  The recipe called for 15 - 20 min at 400 degF.  This was 15 min, 400 degF, steam-bake in the Cuisi steam oven.

The bacon was perfect and crispy.  I pre-toasted the bread rounds and put a thin layer of Boursin on top to try to prevent it from getting too soggy and I think that was a good idea.  The bread wasn't super crisp but not soggy either.

The recipe recommended medium eggs so I bought a half dozen at the farmers market yesterday so I can give this 2 more tries to see if I can do better with the eggs.  The recipe suggested a layer of sautéed mushrooms or a slice of tomato under the egg so I'll try something along those lines for the next one.

 

That looks really good! Could the eggs be added later, say half-way through the cooking time?

[blue_dolphin]

8 minutes ago, robirdstx said:

That looks really good! Could the eggs be added later, say half-way through the cooking time?

Don't they look cute!

I'm a little concerned that the bacon wouldn't stay in the "cup" shape without the egg but if you used the mushrooms or tomato on top of the bread, that might do it.

Because of all the  cautions about burning the bacon I was afraid it would burn before the egg was cooked so I put the eggs in a cup of warm water to take the chill off before breaking them into the muffin tins.  It's possible that just using a fridge-temp egg, plus the extra volume of some mushrooms or other veg may slow down the egg cooking enough.   I can try both for my next experiment.  

The other thing I did differently was using only one slice of bacon.  It was long enough to overlap nicely and I think two full slices of the particular bacon I used would have been too much. But having the extra volume might slow down the egg cooking.

 

[rotuts]

I can see these bacon Cups being quite tasty when the eggs are done to one's liking as with the bacon.

 

why not consider a partial pre-cook of the bacon in the Microwave  so that its still pliable.  

 

then make the cups and add cold eggs from the frrg.

 

at a certain point all the pre-prep bogs the dish down .....

 

unless you have a plan for a large number of these for say, a brunch.

 

you might also 'ice' the eggs in the shell  in ice water for a bit.

 

im sure there is a way to do this    if the effort is worth it   

 

I can't even see the CSB solving this issue  when Ease of Assembly and cooking are important.

 

I vaguely remember the Test Kitchen doing some sort of baked egg - muffin pan item in the past

 

they and the Yolk issues but had a cleaver work around.

 

I'll probably remember this in the middle of the night.

 

[rotuts]

it wast Test Kitchen eggs Florentine in ramekins  

 

no bacon

 

[blue_dolphin]

Per the recipe, the bacon is pre-cooked to the point that you describe.  I usually cook a full lb of bacon at a time in the oven and warm up leftovers in the MW.  Knowing that I wanted to try this, the last time I cooked a batch, I cooked some less than my usual super crispy so it was in the fridge, ready to go.   20 sec in the MW made them nicely pliable, though I did need to shape them in the cups quickly as they firmed up rapidly as they cooled.

 

13 minutes ago, rotuts said:

it wast Test Kitchen eggs Florentine in ramekins

Thanks for the link. I see they recommend the pre-cook step like @robirdstx suggested so that seems like a wise suggestion and I will follow it.

 

21 minutes ago, rotuts said:

at a certain point all the pre-prep bogs the dish down .....

Absolutely.  All the variables of egg size and temp, bacon thickness and doneness, the exact volume and shape of any additional fillings (as described in the CI eggs florentine article), may make it entirely too much trouble.  

But they're so dang cute, I've got to play around with it just a bit !

Edited July 22, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[rotuts]

I could see a prep for 24 of these , two  x 12 muffin tins 

 

for a bruch

 

variable egg done-ness, Mix and Max.

 

as the 6 - 10 people were already deep into the M.R.   

 

who would notice their egg(s)  not being spot on ?

[Captain]

Bacon & Eggs.  Happy tummy.

[sartoric]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

I could see a prep for 24 of these , two  x 12 muffin tins 

 

for a bruch

 

variable egg done-ness, Mix and Max.

 

as the 6 - 10 people were already deep into the M.R.   

 

who would notice their egg(s)  not being spot on ?

I've been meaning to ask for ages...what is M.R ?

[rotuts]

M.R.:

 

 

developed right here on eG.

 

enjoy !

Edited July 23, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Okanagancook]

cheese, bacon, tomato toastie, delicious 

[rarerollingobject]

Morcilla, duck egg, crispy duck fat potatoes.

 

[scubadoo97]

Looks fantastic.  Love breakfast potatoes and it was what I made to go with a fried egg this morning 

 

[HungryChris]

Another breakfast for the "zucchini files" that I have a feeling I will be putting together. These were thin sliced and stir fried in a screaming hot wok with garlic, tajin, salt and pepper. Dusted with parmesan cheese on the plate.

I remembered the hot sauce this time.

HC

[kayb]

IP yogurt, homemade granola, and local blueberries, of which I did not take a photograph. Back to IP yogurt after a few weeks of the supermarket kind. Astounded at the difference in taste. No more supermarket stuff for me!

 

 

[Ashen]

avocado and poached egg on millet.  with oolong tea.   

 

 

 

 

[robirdstx]

 

Biscuits and Country Gravy with Scrambled Eggs and Pork Sausage.

[blue_dolphin]

Oh man, @Ashen, I want to plant my face in that picture of your breakfast.  I hope it's OK if I also request a small side order of @HungryChris's zucchini.

 

Today's eggs-periment.  See previous post and following comments for background.

Materials:

 

Method:

Toasted bread round in the bottom of a buttered muffin cup, topped with a bit of cheese and some sautéed mushroom, onion and spinach (that mixture to go into a quiche, to be described elsewhere).

Steam-bake at 400 F for 5 min before adding the egg, then another ~ 8 min.

 

Results.  Crispy bacon, toast crispy on the bottom, soft yolk.  

 

Discussion:  The CI eggs Florentine article suggested mounding the spinach in the center of the cup so the yolk would sit up in the middle and the white would spread out.  That didn't really work in these small muffin cups - the yolk slid off to the side of the little veg pile so it had rather the reverse effect, with the yolk along the edge cooking more rapidly than the white in the center.  The yolk could be a bit runnier but unless additional toast is served alongside, there would be no way to contain it so this is deemed acceptable from the perspective of this reviewer.  

This reviewer acknowledges a significant improvement but recommends an additional eggs-periment to obtain a more centered yolk.

 

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin

 

Steam-bake at 400 F for 5 min :

 

did that give you the pic w the bacon that's already crispy ?

[ProfessionalHobbit]

 

 

Clockwise from center: 2 tbsp. minced chervil; Maldon sea salt; 3 anchovy fillets; 1 tbsp. capers, chopped; 2 tbsp. thinly sliced red onion, minced; 2 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley; 1 tsp. kosher salt mixed with 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar. Not shown is a bowl with 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil.

 

 

 

5 La Ratte fingerling potatoes that were boiled whole in heavily salted water for 20 minutes until fork-tender, then cooled and peeled. Slice into coins, about 1/2" thick.

 

If you don't have any fingerling potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes are a fine substitute.  La Ratte fingerlings have a buttery flavor that lends itself well to potato salads; they're my preferred variety for something like this.

 

 

 

Combine potatoes with 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Season with 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar over the potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

 

 

 

Boil green beans (or as you see here, haricot vert) in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes, then lift out and shock in ice water. Drain, then place in a bowl. Add red onion, capers, chervil, flat-leaf parsley. Mix well. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to assemble the salad, combine potato mixture with green bean mixture. Toss a few times. Plate potatoes and green beans. Top with hard-cooked egg and anchovy fillets. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt; drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Serve.

 

 

 

Potato and haricot vert salad, with egg and anchovy.

 

Good morning!

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by ProfessionalHobbit (log)

[blue_dolphin]

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@blue_dolphin

 

Steam-bake at 400 F for 5 min :

 

did that give you the pic w the bacon that's already crispy ?

 

I should have noted that this laboratory routinely pre-cooks bacon in the oven, wraps it in paper towel and stores it in a zip-top bag in the fridge,  Always at the ready for eggs-periments such as this.  

 

After taking the "Materials" photo, the slice of bacon pictured went into the MW for 20 sec to make it pliable, then was fitted into the muffin cup that already contained the cheese-topped toasted bread round.

Next, the sautéed vegetables were placed inside the bacon ring.  I was unable to craft the exact sort of ingenious egg-yolk-support system that the CI people made for their baked eggs florentine.  This was due in part to the smaller size of the muffin tin (~2.5" at "egg level" with some of that space taken up by the bacon) vs the larger (3.5") ramekin and to the fact that their smooth spinach/shallot/half & half/parmesan mixture was much more uniform and moldable in consistency than my more rustic mushroom/spinach/onion sauté.  

In the Cuisi steam oven, total time was 5 min with the toast, mushroom/spinach/onion mixture and bacon plus another 8 min after adding the cold egg, so a total of 13 min, 400 F, steam-bake.  

 

Sorry for the less than detailed Methods section.  Perhaps the author should have taken the reviewer's advice to complete the additional eggs-periment prior to release of today's data.  

Of course, then it might even warrant publication in a higher quality journal !

[Captain]

Quick and easy with store puff pastry.

[Okanagancook]

Blue-dolphin, wonderful, and for first thing in the morning admirable!  I am heading to the pantry to see if I have a muffin tin that fits in the little oven.